Calyin yooehis



(No Model.)

0. VOORHIS.

CLASP FOR ELASTIC STRAPS, 8m.

.No. 358,634. Patented MaJr. 1, 1887.

A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN VOORHIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ABRAHAM SHENFIELD, OF SAME PLACE.

CLASP FOR ELASTIC STRAPS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 358,634, dated March 1, 1887.

I Application filed November 29, 1886. Serial No. 220,128. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALVIN VooRHrs, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Clasps for Elastic Straps, Suspender-Ends, &-c., of which the following is a specification.

Elastic bands made use of in suspenderends, &c., are usually secured at the ends by stitching that passes through the woven elastic; but in practice it is found that the needle penetrating the elastic cord often separates the same, or weakens it so that it separates when tension is applied to the same.

The object of my present il'nprovement is to secure the ends of straps in such a manner as to dispense with sewing, and at the same time preventtheinjury that arises from the stitches.

I make use of a split tube that is rigid and is firmly pressed upon the strap that is inserted into the split thereof, so that the strap is rigidly grasped between the tips of the sheet metal and inseparably held thereby, and this split tube becomes the connecting device between such strap and the suspender-buckle or other thing to which the strap is united.

This clasp is to be distinguished from split spring-tubes and similar devices into which garments or fabrics are sometimes drawn endwise to form a temporaryattachment, because these spring-tubes are not adapted to hold rigidly the elastic cords in webbing, because the pressure has to be sufficient to embed the threads of the webbing into the rubber and compress such rubber until the end of each thread becomes a head or enlargement that will not pull through between the edges of the sheet metal as compressed into the fabric.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross section, in larger size, of the clasp as applied upon a fabric; and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device in connection with a suspender-buckle.

The strap of fabric a is of any desired width. thickness, or material. The end to be secured is cut off straight and inserted in between the edges of the split tube 2), and this tube is of sheet metal that is sufficiently thick to be rigid, and the diameter of the tube is as small as consistent with the proper reception of the end of the strap. The tubular clasp isthen to be pressed by suitable mechanism until the rigid clasp is closed tightly and immovably upon the end of the strap, the edges of the sheet metal embedding themselves into the fabric, and where there are elastic cords in such fabric they are to be compressed sufficiently to nip and hold them, so that they cannot pull out by the strain to which they are subjected while in use. The edges of the sheet metal that come into contact with the fabric are sufficiently rounded or smoothed to prevent the threads or fabric being cut, and such edges may be either straight, serrated, or corrugated.

The connection between the clasp and a buckle or other suspending device is made at the ends of the clasp.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the wire bow c as entering the ends of the clasp b and received in a fold of the metal of the buckle. If desired, the wire 0 may pass through the tubular clasp.

I claim as my invention- The combination, With the connecting-bow c, of a tubular split clasp, b, into the ends of which the bow 0 passes, and a strap or band, a, the end of which is received into the split of the tubular clasp, and rigidly secured by bending the tubular clasp to a smaller diameter and gripping the material of the band immovably between the edges of the sheet metal, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 24th day of November,

CALVIN VOOEHIS. \Vitnesses:

GEo. T. PINOKNEY, XVILLIAM G. Mom. 

